


one last call for alcohol

by djchika



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: M/M, and should be allowed brotastic moments with alec, maia is a good bro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-20
Updated: 2018-04-20
Packaged: 2019-04-25 12:01:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14378223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/djchika/pseuds/djchika
Summary: It’s not quite happy hour and Maia has an unexpected customer at the bar.(aka an Alec x Maia friendship fic that nobody knew they needed. Set right after 3x05 before Alec goes back to Magnus’ place. Inspired by a tweet from starksdrogon)





	one last call for alcohol

Loud chatter and the thunk of glass against wood greeted Maia as she took her place behind the bar. She nodded to a couple of regulars, the smile on her face settling naturally. As much drama as the Hunters Moon had seen in the past couple of months, most of its patrons still found it to be a safe space, a common ground for any type of folk.

So no, the hustle and bustle of the early evening crowd was nothing new to Maia. What was new was the tall, dark-haired Shadowhunter sitting alone at the end of her bar nursing what looked like one of Pete’s awful experiments.

The kitchen door swung open and the offending party emerged holding a tray of freshly washed mugs.

“How long has he been there,” Maia asked Pete, tilting her head at Alec’s direction as she took the tray from him and placed them carefully on top of the counter.

“Couple of hours?” he replied with a shrug, clearly more interested in the sudden sound of glass breaking in the kitchen. Pete eyed her critically, even as he moved to go see what happened. “You really need to stop getting involved with other people’s problems.”

“I’m not,” Maia said, ignoring the knowing look Pete threw her before going back through the swinging doors.

“Sure, Roberts. Try not to start a fight in my bar again."

The Hunters Moon was rarely empty but it was early enough that there were only a handful of customers to serve. Maia alternated between serving drinks and cleaning up behind the bar but her eyes kept flitting back to Alec. She hid a smile as an awful grimace contorted his features with every sip.

It was easy to forget just how young he was for all the power he yielded. Maia had no love for the Shadowhunters or the Institute but she respected pack leaders who took care of their own and Alec was definitely one of those.

She grabbed a kitchen towel to stop herself from approaching him and started wiping down the mugs, the towel absorbing the moisture with every swipe. Maybe Pete was right. She should mind her own business. Far be it for her to tell the Head of the New York Institute what to drown his sorrows in.

Another sip. Another grimace. This time punctuated by a sigh.

Maia rolled her eyes at herself knowing she wouldn’t be able to ignore the impulse any longer if Alec continued to look like someone had drowned his puppy. He looked so pathetic Maia almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

At least sorry enough to offer him a beer instead of whatever shit he was drinking.

She finished the rest of the mugs, leaving one on the counter as she placed the others on the shelf. It was satisfying to see them in a tidy row even if that wouldn’t be the case at the end of the night. 

Choosing her favorite draft, she filled the mug to the brim and walked over to Alec, sliding it in front of him and taking back the nasty green drink where it couldn’t accidentally poison the other bar patrons.

“On the house."

Alec looked up started at the sudden intrusion, expressive brown eyes suddenly looking up from where they had been boring miserable little holes into the bar.

Maia quirked an eyebrow at him in response. Shadowhunters did not startle. Something really must be wrong.

“Maia right?,” Alec asked a small polite ghost of a smile on his face.

“He remembers me,” she replied, arching an eyebrow in an expression that wasn’t meant to be hostile but wasn’t quite friendly either. Truthfully she hadn’t expected him to remember. There was little reason for them to interact, the only current thread between them being Magnus who was nowhere to be found at that moment. "Are you here to meet Magnus? I haven’t seen him yet.”

Alec looked down at his new drink, wrapping long fingers around the handle as if he needed to complete the act to keep his hands steady. “No, um, I’m not.”

He took a long pull, the same grimace crossing his face when he put the mug down.

Maia crossed her arms, eyebrow cocked in a more challenging expression. “If you’re trying to say that the drink I gave you tastes the same as the gunk you were drinking I’m taking it back.”

“No, no, it’s good. A lot better than,” he gestured in the general direction of the other glass, “that. Thank you.”

“So where’s Magnus?,” Maia asked grabbing a bowl of pretzels and settling it in front of them, one eye watching out for customers. "You’re usually kicking each other’s asses at pool by now.”

His shoulders barely shifted in a shrug, the entirety of his frame sagging against the bar. It was a wonder to see someone who usually towered over her look so small. But then again she herself turned into a six foot werewolf.

“He’s waiting for me at ho-,” Alec stopped himself a wry smile twisting his features as he seemed to bite out his next words, still staring resolutely at his beer, “He’s at  _ his _ loft.”

“And you’re here because?” Maia prompted, picking the salt off one of the pretzels before popping it into her mouth. She had been bartending since she was old enough to step into a bar, she knew symptoms of heartbreak when she saw them. She also knew better than to give advice. Her role was to listen and to dole out alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol.

Maia picked at another pretzel and waited for Alec to answer but instead of doing that he raised his head to look at her, eyebrows creasing. "You’re dating Simon Lewis.”

“What?”

“You’re dating Lewis. And he’s a vampire.”

Maia bristled. She stood straighter, wiping salt off her fingertips, muscles taut and on the defensive. “What is it to you, Shadowhunter? Is that against the Accords now?”

The memory of the fight with Luke and the rest of the pack still burned an angry trail up her spine and she had never been good at ignoring that rage.

“No,” Alec shifted so he was sitting slightly taller but doesn’t acknowledge the hard edge in Maia’s voice, seeming to understand that he had stumbled upon a tripwire that wasn’t meant for him. “He’s a vampire and you -,” his hands moved around in awkward circles before he finally decided to use his words. "How do you deal with knowing that he’s going to live forever and you - won’t.”

Maia blinked at him, the anger that was thrumming beneath her skin replaced by confused surprise. “Not exactly the kind of small talk I was expecting.”

Aside from the tips of his ears turning red, Alec hid his embarrassment admirably. Or would have if he wasn’t talking to a werewolf. “I’m sorry, that was personal. I shouldn’t have asked.”

“It’s fine,” Maia said, waving away the apology. Not that it meant he was getting an answer. “I’m not sure what to tell you.”

Alec nodded, deflating further and Maia felt a tug on her chest at how lost he looked. Like someone had shaken his foundation and he was yet to find his footing.

“I’m not sure what to tell you because I don’t know,” she finally said with a shrug. "I’ve never really thought about it. Simon isn’t like anyone I’ve ever met. He’s been through so much in a short period of time and yet he still manages to hold on to his innocence. He’s still a geek. he’s still a goofball. And being around him makes me forget my own problems. When I’m with him I never feel like a I’m a werewolf or that he’s a vampire. We’re just us. Simon and Maia.”

Maia blushed. It was the most that she’d ever spoken about her and Simon to someone outside of her pack and while she wasn’t ready to say that she loved him, she cared about Simon a lot.

Alec nodded, his gaze locked on his beer. This time the small smile that appeared on his face was soft and genuine. “Yeah, that makes sense.”

“So are you finally going to tell me what you and Magnus are fighting about?” Maia asked, forcing the attention back on Alec.

“We’re not fighting,” he insisted earning him a raised eyebrow from Maia. When were people going to realize it was useless lying to a Wereworld? “We fought,” Alec amended, “But it’s fine now.I just needed time to think.”

She wondered how much she should pry. Magnus was her friend and while she didn’t understand how someone so colorful and expressive could fall in love with someone who seemed to have a stick up his butt, it was obvious how deeply they felt about each other.

“And what exactly do you need to think about?” Maia asked, tone purposely light. Getting involved was a bad idea but if Alec was somehow an oversharing drunk, it wasn’t like Maia was required to stop him.

“We’re just -” Alec took a breath that didn’t release any of the tension in his shoulders. “All my life I’ve known what was to come next, what role I was going to play. Shadowhunter, Head of the Institute, work with the Clave. But with Magnus it’s like I forget about all the plans I was supposed to follow and I’m just happy.”

The smile on his face is small but genuine, like the mere thought of Magnus had flicked a light switch behind Alec’s eyes and Maia was allowed a glimpse of the beauty that Magnus saw in him.

Maia ached to see that light dim in the next second.

Alec took another swig of his beer, made another face that Maia tried not to take personally.

“Magnus makes me happy,” he continued, “and because of that I haven’t been thinking about our future. How who we are and our pasts are going to affect that. Simon is a new vampire. He doesn’t have a lot of history. Magnus has been around for centuries, lived so many lives, loved so many people-” he trailed off turning into himself. “It’s complicated.”

Wow. And she thought her kind was emotionally stunted.

Maia studied him for a long minute as he grimaced through his beer again before asking, "That’s what you came here to think about?”

“Yeah.”

She took a deep breath and released it in a dramatic sigh. "You’re an idiot.”

It might not have been the smartest move to call one of the most influential members of the New York Shadow World an idiot but she always called it like she saw it. And if he believed any of the crap he was saying then he truly was one.

The look of startled surprise on Alec’s face wasn’t helping his case any. 

“I’m not- ”

Maia cut him off. Seriously, are Shadowhunters always this dense?

”Magnus is amazing,” she said slowly, staring him straight in the eye, “and he loves you. He adores you and you’re sitting here alone because in what fifty, sixty, seventy years you’re going to die?” She paused to let the absurdity sink in. “That’s like saying I’ll stop going out of my apartment because I might get hit by a bus one day.”

Alec held her gaze, jaw clenched tight. “Don’t make it out like it’s nothing. He’s going to have to watch me grow old and weak. And eventually,” he paused the pain clear in his voice, “I’ll have no choice but to leave him-”

“No,” Maia said, her own voice low and sure. “If you’re lucky and you pull your head out of your ass you’re going to be able to live a long, happy life  _ with _ him. And when your time does come it’ll be worth it because that’s how you live life, making the most of it while you can.”

“It’s not that simple.” Alec shook his head, a stubborn set to his chin.

“Maybe, but the question is does Magnus matter enough to you that you’ll let your life be a little messy in exchange for a lifetime of love?”

Alec played with the condensation on the mug as he mulled over the question.

“I’m not sure I should be listening to advice from someone who’s dating Simon,” he mumbled.

“No.” Maia smirked, hands on her hips. “You should to listen to me because I’m awesome.” 

Alec exhaled, barely a laugh. Finally he gave her a small smile that was almost sheepish. “I’m being an idiot.”

“Duh.”

“But that doesn’t mean it’s simple.”

“No,” she conceded, “it’s not simple. And I don’t know you, but I don’t think you’re going to let it go any time soon.” She clapped Alec on the shoulder from across the bar. “Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.”

Alec nodded that small smile back on his face. “Okay.”

The door opened and fresh chatter filled the calm silence between them. The first wave of what promised to be a packed house.

Maia have Alec’s shoulder a final pat. “Now get out of here and go home to your boyfriend. I have other customers.”

Alec stood up, leaving a generous tip on the bar which Maia couldn’t help but assume was Magnus’ influence.

“Thank you,” he said, stupidly earnest, the tips of his ears burning red again. It was almost endearing. A hint of what Magnus must see in the man.

Maia raised two fingers in a mock salute. “Anytime.”

She watched Alec leave and her lips quirked into a smile, remembering a night not so long ago when her favorite warlock had gazed at a simple trinket as if it was his most prized possession. She didn’t know how wrong she was. Magnus didn’t care about treasures. It was Alec who Magnus treasured most in the world and it seemed that the feeling was mutual.

Maia was no romantic, hadn’t been one in a long time but somehow she knew the two would work things out.

**Author's Note:**

> rebagel on tumblr please: [djchika](http://djchika.tumblr.com/post/173132387242/title-one-last-call-for-alcohol-fandompairing)


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